I like to call it as it is, so I'll say that coming from an E39 M5, the F10 M5 with DCT, in standard startup settings, seems a little clunky around the city. There I said it, the M5 is not perfect for me .

I'm experimenting more with Shift Speed "2" right now (of course I have to set this every time I get in the car) and see if that improves things. But on "1", there's a pause/delay when I need to squirt out into traffic.

I drive in downtown SF every day, and honestly I think twice before squirting out into an open lane. I can't even imagine driving this thing in Manhattan, I'd be hit by a cab immediately.

I'll see if the tranny in the "medium" setting helps. I've tried different throttle pedal approaches, but it's never really right. A standard automatic (or of course the E39 M5 manual) works much better squirting from stop to an open lane in bumper-to-bumper city traffic.

Other niggles?
. The radio wheel and volume on the steering wheel feels a little "Cheap." It's starting to get looser, losing that BMW damped feel. (Why I hate Audi interiors, there's little damper -- it looks nice, but feels "clicky").
. The Silverstone interior picks up a LOT of stains.
. I wish the volume knob was next to the IDrive (this is where ergonomically Audi got it spot on)
. Steering "feel" a little removed, but yet vibrations (think power drill) make it into the wheel
. This car is HUGE! But the front seats are huge also, and eat up all the rear legroom.
. Moving Homelink to the mirror is a cheapo move. Liked it on the headliner, was able to push it without abandon, not worry about moving the mirror every time I want to get in the garage.
. Volume and station wheel should be on the left side of the wheel. That way you can prop elbow on door, drive, and manipulate radio. Who the hell moved it to the right side of the steering wheel? My right hand has access to Idrive and volume on the damn radio.
. Reflection of dashboard on the windshield is INSANE. Getting used to it, but the HUD, center speaker? I like to frame cars ahead of me into the reflections of them for sport.

Requests
. I wish the car would "Bong!" when I leave it running, get out of the car, but have the key (I valet the car a lot, and always forget I have the key).

Performance (on the open road)
. None. Perfect. Wow. Strange, but I almost wish the transmission would "clunk" more when it shifts, it's so damn smooth.
. Power is prodigious. Where in the hell in the U.S. am I supposed to wring this thing out.
. I see why they had to pipe in the exhaust. The car is very quiet.
. Wish it had a bit more off-throttle "burble", but that's nit-picking.

Excuse my long post, I've been wanting to write down these thoughts for a while. Maybe I'll even send them to BMW.

If the E39 M5 were available "new" today, with all the updated electronics and a slightly better tuned DCT for the city, I would definitely buy it over the F10. That car was better thought out and better balanced, and I think goes down in time as the best M5 so far.

I plan on buying the F10 M5 and keep my E39 M5 for all the reasons stated above.